Ten And Counting
by ColdDecemberNight
Summary: Today marked the tenth year of their partnership and to her surprise, Hyoudou presents her with a rather unusual gift to commemorate the milestone. Ten years of dancing together would result in ten years of emotional development between the both of them. A collection of one shots centred around Hyoudou and Shizuku
1. Ten and Counting

**Ten And Counting**

Shizuku raised an eyebrow as she packed her bags because she wasn't expecting to see a familiar figure leaning against the doorframe while stifling a loud yawn. Her friends were shooting her looks of mischief and subtly gesturing to her nonchalant dancing partner, who was patiently waiting for her outside the classroom. It was unusual of him to talk to her at school due to his preference of solitude and tranquillity. As she slowly made her way towards the entrance of the classroom, his hazel eyes met her azure orbs as he shuffled to the right to allow her to exit the classroom.

" Kiyoharu, it's a surprise to see you here and more importantly, do you have something important to tell me? It's rather unusual for you to be waiting for me after school," she walked with him towards the school gates.

Silence hung in the air before he decided to utter his first words. "I was waiting for you because I wanted to ask you if you could spare some time in the afternoon," he nodded.

Shizuku rolled her eyes playfully. " If you want to get in another round of practice before the next winter tournament, you don't have to make it out to be a big of a favour. I'm always willing to get some extra practice."

Hyoudou pursed his lips before scratching his head. " Actually, I was hoping that you could follow me to Ueno Park because I have something else to tell you."

Shizuku looked genuinely curious at the brown- haired boy. Now, this was a surprise! What on earth could be of more importance to Hyoudou other than ballroom dancing? Could it be that he as dropping out of the tournament? Or had he sustained another injury again? Millions of possibilities roamed Shizuku's head as she stole suspicious glances at her partner before following him to the park.

" Hyodou, I really hope that you aren't planning to drop out of the tournament. We've worked too hard in perfecting our routine….." she said slowly as he shot her an irritated look before fishing a parcel out of his satchel and handing it to her.

He waved it in the air and pushed it to her chest. "I called you here because I wanted to give you this present," he remarked. The blue-eyed girl was taken aback and tried to hide the light tint of pink that was colouring her sun kissed cheeks. She broke into a small smile and clutched it to her chest as she shot him a playful smile.

"Spit it out, Hyoudo, do you need something from me? Or is this to make up for the time that you accidentally stepped on my foot during our last practice?"

He snorted and folded his arms. " Happy tenth anniversary, Shizuku. Today marks the tenth year that we've been dancing partners and personally, I thought that it was a rather significant milestone, so I decided to give you something."

His cold demeanour was replaced with one of sincerity and mild embarrassment as he was trying his best to avoid her gaze.

" Kiyoharu, I'm honestly touched that you remembered, and to be honest, I didn't even know that it was today," she laughed lightly much to his annoyance. " Although, it doesn't mean that I don't remember when we first paired up ten years ago, back at your grandfather's house."

He wouldn't admit it but his heart would skip a beat whenever she would smile at him. She was a beautiful girl no doubt, but there was something about her that drove him crazy. He tried to brush it off at first but it was clear that it ran deeper than he thought- considering he spent half a day looking for the perfect gift for his dancing partner.

" Hanaoka, listen up carefully because I don't usually say this," he turned to face her.

" You're definitely not the best female follower that I know and sometimes, I question your mental fortitude when it comes to creating our own choreography but all in all, I don't think that I could imagine dancing with anyone other than you," he admitted.

" Hyoudou, hold on for a minute….." she shook her head but he placed a finger on her lips.

"Thanks for being such a supportive friend and understanding dancing partner. I may have lost my passion for dancing along the way but dancing with you never bore me. You're like this song that is stuck in my head and I hum to it whenever I feel like getting back into the groove."

She felt the heat slowly rise to her face as she desperately tried to hide the blush that had become apparent. This came across as a confession to her and her heart was palpitating because she never expected him to have mutual feelings for her.

" I hope to continue our success together, so once again, happy anniversary and don't you dare run away with Tatara again," he cracked a small smile before heaving a sigh. "Now that the formalities are out of the way, let's shift our focus back to the upcoming winter cup."

The two individuals were staring intently at each other, trying to discern the other's feelings while trying to cull the rush of adrenaline that coursed through their veins. Hyoudou clenched his fists and turned to walk away but Shizuku caught his arm and tugged him lightly.

" Kiyoharu, thank you. I really appreciate the compliment and I look forward to adding to our cabinet of trophies," she smiled sunnily at him.

Hyoudou closed his eyes in frustration. He couldn't understand why he felt butterflies in his stomach nor did he understand the strange urge to wrap his arms around her and smother her with kisses. He shook his head and started walking away from her. " I'll see you at practice tonight and don't be late," he waved his hand airily.

Shizuku watched the distance between the both increase as his shadow became to fade with each passing second. She shrugged and began unwrapping her present until a final yank revealed the content of the parcel. She stopped in her tracks and rubbed her temples. " I'm going to hate myself for this!" she mentally screamed as she ran after him and tapped him on the shoulder. His steps came to a juddering halt as he slowly turned around a ghost of a smile flickered across his face. "Hanaoka, I thought that I told you that I'll see you tonight?"

"Baka…" she muttered and chucked the gift wrapping at his face before pulling him in for a chaste kiss. He was caught by surprise but he closed his eyes and his hands found their way to her slender waist as his tongue fought hers for control. He slowly pulled away as she looked up at him with a beatific smile. It was foolish of him not to realise it sooner- that he was in love with Shizuku. He couldn't care less that it was a cliché to be avoided- falling in love with your best friend/partner after years of working with them. His unrelenting desire to excel in ballroom dancing was fuelled by the desire to prove to her that he was the best partner for her. She was more than just a partner- she would come over to take care of him whenever he fell sick, she occasionally made him a bento during the week of a competition and most importantly, she was the one person that could understand him.

" Any reason for calling me a baka?" he muttered in a low voice as he kissed the corner of her mouth and silenced her with another searing kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and caressed his check before pulling away slowly once more. "Yeah, care to explain how you got this photo of me?" she waved the photo frame in the air in amusement as Hyoudou scoffed.

It was a photo of Shizuku pulling a funny face while posing with a bag of chips in her hand in the dance studio. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she quickly stuffed the photo frame back into her school bag. He couldn't help but let a chuckle escape from his lips- it wasn't often that he saw her flustered but it was cute nonetheless. He made a mental note to thank Sengoku for the picture and the idea when he saw him tonight.

" I'm not even going to bother lying. The photo frame was Sengoku's idea but you might want to inspect it a little more thoroughly," he drawled as she began inspecting the photo frame. There was a red paper Mache rose stuck behind the photo frame with the words " can't wait for you to bloom into a great dancer" scrawled on one of its leaves.

She tried not to laugh as it was his turn to turn away in embarrassment as he tried to snatch it away from her. "It's sweet of you but it's better to get a girl a real rose when you're trying to confess to them," she teased him lightly.

" You're too presumptuous, Hanaoka. This was supposed to be a gift in recognition of our long-standing partnership- not some romantic gesture," he snorted as he absently laced his fingers with hers while walking to the bus stop.

The two dancers could never be captured by a simple photograph, any snapshot in time could never be enough to capture what their moving forms conveyed. They were joy and laughter, love and grace, emotions given a physical form. They were honesty clad in bright silk, their art cutting a path right to Shizuku's heart. She loved ballroom dancing and the glitz and glamour that came with it but most importantly, she loved her dancing partner and ten years' worth of precious memories were worth more to her than any accolades achieved. Their partnership was just the beginning of something special that was moving like ribbons in the wind- timeless.

 **A/N Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this story and I'm glad to see that a fandom for this show exists. Please leave a review and tell me what you think about the story because constructive criticism is always welcomed. I'll see you guys soon!**


	2. Dear Diary

Ten and Counting chapter 2

 **Dear Diary**

Shizuku panicked as she rummaged through her belongings in search of her diary. She mentally cursed as the possibility of leaving it on her desk became less remote as time passed. Her mother had encouraged her to keep a diary to keep notes and reminders as well as an outlet to express her feelings when necessary. The pages of her diary contained choreography steps, reminders for assignments as well as upcoming school events. However, recently, her pages contained sensitive and personal information pertaining to a certain brown haired boy.

She relaxed and continued walking the streets back to her house. The possibility of Hyoudou picking up her diary and flicking through the pages was nearly zero. Firstly, because they weren't in the same class and secondly, he wasn't the type to snoop through someone's belongings without permission. Things would change between the both of them if he knew what she had written in those pages.

Her cheeks were tinted pink as she slapped her cheeks and shook her head. "It's just a silly crush anyway. I mean, it's only natural to develop feelings for someone who you've spent almost your entire life with, right" she mentally asked herself. She couldn't believe how fast her heart was palpitating when his lips brushed against the shell of her ear during their Latin dance. As he spun her around and took a side step, he closed the distance between their faces and her spine tingled as she felt his lips brush against the outer shell of her ear. He paid no attention to it but she turned away quickly to hide the heat that was rising to her cheeks.

"I'm pretty sure if I go to school early tomorrow, I would be able to grab the diary before anyone else has a read through it!" she consoled herself and unlocked the gate.

" Shizuku."

A familiar voice rang through her ears as she spun around and found Hyoudou standing a few metres away her. She furrowed her eyebrows and folded her arms.

" Kiyoharu, what brings you to my place at this time of the afternoon? We don't have practice today, remember?" she chided him.

He snorted and fished her diary out of his satchel much to her horror. The look on her face was alamost comical that Hyoudou stifled a chuckle that threatened to escape his lips. "I just wanted to drop your notebook at your house since you left it on your desk. I was waiting for you outside class but apparently, you left slightly earlier without telling me," he snorted.

"Um…thanks a heap, Kiyoharu," she coughed and tried to snatch the diary back from him but to no avail as her dancing partner did a little pirouette and kept it out of her reach. She glared at him as his curious expression was replaced with a look of amusement. It was the first time that he saw her react this violently when it came to a book and frankly, he found it quite entertaining.

"Why are you so adamant on getting it back?" he pressed her much to her annoyance. She composed herself and folded her arms. "Doesn't it make sense for someone to be frantic when another person is in possession of something private?"

Silence hung in the air as the two students engaged in a staring match, neither one willing to make the next move, until finally, Hyoudou let out a sigh and tossed the diary back into her open arms. She caught it gingerly and quickly stuffed it into her bag, heaving a sigh of relief as the brown-haired boy seemed to be walking in the opposite direction. " Thanks Kiyoharu! I'll see you at practice tomorrow alright?" she called out after him.

He paused before turning back to face her. "We are mirrors and echoes of one another in so many ways that you are like a brother and a best friend rolled into one. Yet in truth we are sexual soul mates, an innate connection, the strongest bond there can be. You are the only one that can reach inside of me with such ease, stoking my passions, extinguishing storms. Just by knowing you I become my true self, gaining the strength and confidence I need to let my true colours shine through so brightly" he recited calmly.

With each passing word, Shizuku's face became redder and redder until she tried to slap his face in retaliation. He calmly caught her arm and leaned forward, his hot breath against her face. " I didn't know that you had a knack for poetry."

She pulled her arm away from his grasp and rolled her eyes " And I didn't know that you had the gall to go through someone's diary. Honestly, have you no shame?" she chided him.

He gave a small shrug and stuffed his hands into his pockets. " I had to find out if the owner's name was written on any of the pages so don't blame me. But anyhow, sexual soul mates huh? Where did that come from?" he mused as Shizuku felt like burying her head beneath the ground in embarrassment. Normally, trivial matters such as this wouldn't even be worthy of his attention but how often did he get a girl penning a passionate for him? Well, he hoped that it was meant for him and not for Tatara but judging by her visage, it was safe to say that he was right.

" Just go home already, Kiyoharu. I just had an epiphany and decided to just write a story for laughs. It doesn't mean anything so there isn't any benefit in using it for blackmail or whatever it is that you're hoping to achieve," she replied wearily.

Hyoudou watched her unlock the door to her house as she kicked off her shoes and arrange them on the rack. He finally got up to leave as he shot her a final glance before waving his hand dismissively. " You're right, I apologise for thinking that you wrote about me- after all, you described me as a forbidden fantasy," he couldn't help but let a chuckle escape from his lips as Shizuku screamed in frustration and slammed the door in his face as she recalled scrawling that sentence on the last page of her diary.

" Dear diary, is it wrong to be in love with a prick?" she scribbled furiously onto one of the pages of the diary before tossing it on to her bed. She made a mental note to never bring her diary with her to school ever again.

A/N I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! This fandom is small but I'm trying to hopefully inspire more people to join the club. Please leave a review and comments are appreciated. If you have any ideas that you would like to chuck out, feel free to let me know!


	3. Cloud Nine

**Chapter 3**

Hyoudou and Shizuku were squashed to the side with the latter glaring at the screaming kids behind them as he was stuck in a slow-moving line for the Ferris wheel. " This is the last time I'm letting you convince me to accompany Tatara and his girlfriend on one of their little jaunts," he grumbled and slid between the barriers. Shizuku sighed and tried to stick as close to Hyoudou as possible once the line started to move. " Come on Kiyoharu, It's Fujita and Mako's first date after all and she requested that it be a double date to avoid it being awkward."

Tatara waved madly to the duo behind as Mako and him were comfortably close to the end of the line- the couple chattering excitedly about how the ride would enable them to catch ha glimpse of the horizon. " Hanaoka and Hyoudou look pretty disgruntled. Could it be that they aren't fond of it?" Tatara whispered to Mako. She swivelled her head and flashed them a thumb up- a sign that was opposite to what Shizuku and Hyoudou were feeling at that moment.

" I think that it was really sweet of Shizuku to agree to accompany us today but what was even more surprising was the fact that she managed to drag Hyoudou out with her," Mako giggled. " It wasn't hard to convince him when I mentioned that your brother was more than happy to sacrifice himself to spend the day with us," Tatara scratched his head. " He may not look like it but he does treat his partnership with Hanaoka like marriage- he's always thinking…" he didn't get to finish his sentence as he tripped on a puddle of melted ice-cream and crashed into the person in front of him. Hyoudou raised his eyebrows as the sounds of yelling and laughter echoed from the front.

" If I had to bet, that must be Tatara doing something crazy again," he sighed as Shizuku squinted and tried to catch a glimpse of the commotion. " Kiyoharu, I just wanted to thank you for coming out with me today. I don't think that I could have played the part of a nanny without someone to talk to," she joked. The brown-haired boy nodded and gave a small shrug. " Don't mention it. Besides, I don't remember the last time I visited a theme park- maybe two or three years back," he looked around and basked in the warm sunlight that streamed through the rafters. Shizuku gave a nostalgic smile before squeezing past him. "My grandfather would take me here once a year during the Christmas break so I'm just trying to relive those good old days. On a side note, I think that the theme park makes for an exciting first date, so good on Fujita," she grinned.

" Yeah, it makes for an exciting date if we could watch from the comfort of our couches," he replied sarcastically and silently cheered as they were approaching the end of the line. " You know, if Tatara had asked me to go out with him to the theme park, I wouldn't say no to that idea," she grinned playfully, hoping to elicit a reaction from her partner. Hyoudou rolled his eyes and bopped her on the head playfully. "Saves me the trouble of taking you here myself then." He paused and he furrowed his eyebrows as he slowly made sense of the sentence that he strung together. " That didn't come out right….I wasn't planning to specially take you here or anything," he cleared his throat as Shizuku tried to hide the blush that was forming.

" Kiyoharu, maybe you would like to…." She was cut off as Tatara waved madly at them

" Hey! Hanaoka! Hyoudou! We'll wait for you at the cotton candy stall once you guys have finished the ride!" he flashed them a big smile as Shizuku deflated and shook her head. " Forget it, Kiyoharu. I was just going to ask if you felt like visiting the arcade after this," she lied and turned back to the front. He stifled a yawn and blinked a couple of times before nudging her gently to move ahead of him. " I'm good for now and I'm feeling rather sleepy so I might call it a day after this ride." Shizuku pursed her lips and decided not to press it any further. She gave a wistful smile as she caught a glimpse of Mako and Tatara in peals of laughter as Tatara sported a candy floss moustache that held some realism to it. To be fair, Mako was an easy-going girl and she was certain that she was crushing on Tatara ever since their first dance at the Tenpei Cup. Her morose partner on the other hand could be quite thick when it came to emotional expression and Shizuku decided that she was never going to hammer the point across to him.

Silence hung in the air as the duo watched the carriage ascend slowly until an audible creak could be heard from the below and the ferris wheel came to a juddering halt. The inertia pushed Shizuku forward but Hyoudou stuck his arm out and caught her before her face met the front seat. " You might want to be careful next time," he murmured and removed his arm from her chest. She felt embarrassed but smoothened her skirt and continued looking out of the window.

She felt uneasy as the ride wasn't operating and the carriage had been suspended for five minutes before an announcement through the PA system confirmed her suspicions. " Ladies and gentleman, please refrain from panicking as the team is in the middle of fixing a technical issue. Please be advised to remain calm and refrain from pushing against the doors for your own safety. Thank you."

Hyoudou heaved an irritated sigh and folded his arms. " I sure hope that this isn't some sort of gimmick to prolong the ride." Shizuku brushed the side of her hair and it suddenly dawned on her that they were completely isolated from the public eye and that this was the perfect opportunity to finish what she couldn't say before.

" Hyoudou-kun, we have maximum privacy now," she said in a sultry voice and tried to draw out her coquettish side even though she was sweating profusely due to how annoyed he looked. He gave her a withering look before turning his attention back to the wall in front of him. She felt irritated and resisted the urge to shake him senseless- was it that difficult to pick up on her signs?

" Kiyoharu, if we were to be stuck on an island together, we probably wouldn't make it past the first night," she said sarcastically and shook her head.

" We have maximum privacy now right? So what? I thought you weren't done elaborating," he mused and turned to face the confused girl.

"There's nothing left to say. We're probably going to die of starvation first if they don't fix it soon enough," she snorted.

" On the contrary, don't you find being suspended mid-air, in a private carriage with a clear look of the sunset overlooking the city, to be quite the romantic setting?" he baited her. She swallowed nervously and eyed him cautiously. "Well, you might think that but normal people like me think that this is a perilous situation," she scoffed.

"Perilous because you have no place to run from the things that I can do to you?" he pressed as Shizuku felt a lump form in her throat but refused to waver.

"Please, Kiyoharu. The only thing that you're probably going to do to me is to give a long lecture on my flat footedness during our Foxtrot and make fun of my botched make-up during the last Mikasa Cup," she replied smartly.

He raised an eyebrow and gave a small smile- he enjoyed teasing his dance partner but he found her to be at her most appealing when she showcased her sassy side. He found her to be the most beautiful girl that he has laid eyes on but right now, she looked incredibly attractive to him.

" I was thinking of something more daring and intimate- such as a kiss. You have no idea how much I want you right now," he murmured huskily but he was taken aback as Shizuku lowered her head and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

" Hanaoka? Are you alright?" the playful façade melted away and was replaced with a look of concern.

He didn't get to continue his sentence as he next thing I knew, she had slammed her lips to his and nearly knocked all wind from his lungs. He hardly had a moment to react before she pressed his tongue to the seam of his lips and, at my grant of access, delved inside his mouth. The kiss obliterated every thought. For the first time in forever, Hyoudou's mind was locked into the present. The worries of the day evaporated like a summer shower onto a hot car. His usual mode of hurrying from one thing to the next was suspended, he had no wish for the kiss to end. Drunk on endorphins his only desire was to touch her, to move his hands under her smooth summer layers and feel her perfect softness. In moments, the soft caress has become more firm, he savoured her lips and the quickening of her breath that matched his own. His hands found his way underneath her jacket and began to explore the back of her sundress.

" You're usually the follower but today, looks like you're taking the lead," he nipped the side of her neck as a soft gasp escaped her parted lips. " Shut up and keep kissing me. I have to admit that the thrill of making out in mid-air got to me," she smirked and pushed him against the seat, much to his surprise.

The two of them held onto the side bars for support as the carriage began to slowly descend from its peak. " Let's face it, this was always going to happen," he chuckled and adjusted his own jacket while she straightened her hair and wore her glasses. " It took them fifteen minutes to get the ride going again although, it felt like an eternity," she blushed and scooped up her handbag as the carriage finally reached the platform. Hyoudou helped her onto the platform and was greeted by the worried and overzealous pair of Tatara and Mako.

" Are you guys alright? Were you guys afraid? I hope that it wasn't frightening for you," Tatara gripped Hyoudou and turned to Shizuku. " Hanaoka-san! I hope that this didn't ruin your day."

"Well I hope that the both of you are excited for the rest of the rides. I heard that this amusement park is famous for its roller-coasters," Mako chimed in politely as Hyoudou and Shizuku exchanged a glance before breaking into a big smile.

" I think that we have already found the best ride in the park," Shizuku grinned at Hyoudou, who could only give a small shrug to avoid the heat rising to his cheeks. Tatara and Mako looked in confusion at her as Shizuku dragged the grumbling boy to the arcade.

 **A/N Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'm open to any suggestions or requests for the upcoming one-shots as it would be interesting to get a perspective on how the fans view their relationship. Don't forget to leave a review and see you In the next chapter**


	4. The Last Whisk

Chapter 4

There were plasma screens of arrival and departure times on the wall of the airport. People were lined up at the check in desk with suitcases and baggage. There was a sculpture of a whale with water cascading from its mouth and flowing down its tail flukes. In the background, soft classical music played. In the arrivals lounge there was a curious mixture of bored and excited people. Some looked like they were waiting for a bus, others like they were children waiting for Santa himself. Hyoudou wheeled his luggage bag to the waiting area and chose to sit next to an elderly couple.

" I got you a bottle of water in case you get thirsty during the flight," Shizuku smiled and handed it to him. Hyodou accepted it gratefully and made room for his partner to take her place next to him. He was leaving to further his studies in Germany and to hone his dancing skills while Shizuku was to leave for London in September. He felt excited as he was one step closer of achieving his dream but at the same time, there was a lingering feeling of regret and disappointment. Leaving behind his mother, Sengoku, all his friends and most importantly, his beloved dancing partner, Shizuku.

She had offered to accompany him to the airport today with the excuse of that she had some time to spare but he knew that she wanted to spend every minute till half past one, with him. "Kiyoharu, does this mean that we're officially dissolving our partnership?" she asked quietly. He didn't have an answer to that question as the answer was staring at him right in the face but he didn't want to accept it.

"Yes, the time has come for us to go our separate paths as dancers," he replied.

He hated himself for saying that. Her emotionless visage spoke volumes as he could almost hear her heart breaking into two. She was his partner of twelve years and they practically grew up together. She was the only girl who understood him, confided in him, laughed and cried with him as well as trusted him.

"I understand. I just wanted to make to make sure that we were on the same page," she nodded and looked up at him. Azure eyes met his hazel orbs as neither one of them wanted this to be the end of their journey together. They fought just as frequently as any other dancing couple but a healthy relationship wouldn't be without its fair share of ups and downs. Shizuku was a strong girl who could hold her own but she was in her most vulnerable state when it came to him. His words carried more weight than any of her friends and this was evident when he pitted Tatara against her in the Tenpei Cup.

" I've got another half an hour to go before departure. Time flies when you're wallowing in nostalgia," Hyoudou glanced at his watch as he watched another aircraft take off from the runway. "Kiyoharu, do you remember our last victory at the Mikasa Cup last month?" Shizuku smiled.

He cocked his head and nodded slowly. "Of course, I do. That victory meant a lot to us as it was our last competition together," he smiled. She fumbled around and instructed him to hold out his hand, which he did. She proceeded to press a photo to his open hand and tried to hide the excited smile that was forming on her lips.

It was a photo of them in the locker room, after the Mikasa Cup, with Hyoudou carrying her bridal style with the trophy in next to them. The picture was his final treasure waiting to be packed for the journey. In the locker room, they had called their "hangout spot" since childhood. She was wearing her signature blue dress for the waltz but in its prim colonial hues delicate as some pressed flower. Even in the photo, he could see the red hues that coloured her cheeks as her partner was carrying her in his arms.

He snapped out of his reverie and packed it away in his backpack. " Hanaoka, thank you for the picture. It will serve as a reminder of all the good times that we had together and the time I accidentally groped you as I was lifting you off the ground," he laughed as she sulked and smacked him playfully on the shoulder.

" I saw another side of you that day. A side that you don't usually show to other people. It was quite pleasant and frankly, I'm honoured that I managed to convince you take a few candid shots with me," she grinned evilly and waved her phone in the air much to his chagrin.

" Shizuku, this isn't goodbye," he said finally as the boarding announcement filled the room. She stopped and shook her head. " No Kiyoharu, it's time for you to leave me and fulfil your potential. I can no longer follow your lead nor do I plan on hindering your development. We were never on the same level to begin with," she gave a sad smile and helped him with his duffel bag.

His mouth went dry and he clenched his fists till the knuckles went white. " How can you say that?! Ballroom dancing isn't something you can do alone. You were my pillar and the reason I strive to become greater each day. Don't you ever undervalue yourself!" he burst out and squeezed her hand fiercely.

Her eyes widened at his sudden outburst. Her light blue eyes looked as if an ocean had been encased inside of small glass marbles. "I don't want you to leave me." they said. Then the smooth spheres appeared to be cracked; the ocean had started to leak, little water droplets streamed down Shizuku's soft cheeks.

" Thank you for believing in me and being my partner!" she dried her eyes and gave a muffled laugh. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, gently rubbing her arm. Despite the heaviness in her stomach, it fluttered at the feeling of her body pressed against his. She sunk into the warmth of his side, appreciative of the simple gesture. His touch made the room warmer somehow, her future within its walls seeming a little less bleak.

As she watched him made his way to the departure gate, she held her head high and gave him a thumb up. She felt proud that her partner was taking the next big step onto the international stage and that his journey was only getting started.

" Shizuku," he spun around and called out to her.

All eyes were on her as she folded her arms and turned to face him. " Yes, Kiyoharu, what is it? You're holding up the line," she clucked.

" Let's dance again together sometime. I'm expecting you to be on the same level as me," he grinned.

She shook her head fondly and thought about it. " Would our new respective partners mind though? We can get rather passionate when it comes to the Tango," she winked at him.

"When we've been together for as long as twelve years, our relationship goes beyond dancing partners," he rolled his eyes playfully and waved goodbye as he disappeared into the sea of passengers.

Shizuku made her way back to the entrance and stole one last glance at the tunnel before breaking into a big smile. She knew that this was goodbye for now but not forever because they were connected by dance and the unbreakable partnership that came with it.

 **A/N This was an emotional piece to write but I could envision them going through an equally emotional goodbye if it were to happen at all. Reviews and comments are greatly appreciated as feedback and interaction with you guys really keeps me motivated to continue writing. Till next time!**


End file.
